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The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

Kathy Xu (11) holds out her phone, which displays the final page of her 2021 Spotify Wrapped statistics. Spotify Wrapped released this year on Dec. 1 and showed user statistics from the past year in a multi-page story format.

2021 Spotify Wrapped summarizes users’ listening experiences over past year

by Emma Gao, Reporter December 10, 2021

Spotify released its 2021 Spotify Wrapped feature, which allows users to explore their unique listening patterns and statistics over the past year, on Dec. 1. According to Spotify’s website, the personalized...

Upper school Latin and world history teacher Clifford Hull examines excavated fossils that he has collected and stores in his room, Main 1. Hull is passionate about archaeology, collecting and the past, as evinced by objects atop his cabinet such as the bust of Caesar pencil holder and the American flag he was given when he first came to the country.

Meet your teacher: Excavating upper school history teacher’s world

by Sarah Mohammed and Tiffany Chang December 10, 2021

Bright green, pink and yellow orange squeezers; teapots from Finland from the 50s and 60s and mid 19th century Victorian Age relics of urinals are a combination of objects you’ll most likely never find...

Anish Jain (10) hugs Justin Chao (10) under a flurry of fake snow during Winterfest on Nov. 29. A snow machine showered the outside of Manzanita with fake snow, while HSLT members offered hot chocolate to the upper school community and HSLT co-adviser and Director of Student Organizations Eric Kallbrier hosted a holiday-themed karaoke, inviting students and teachers to sing along to holiday tunes.

Upper school community enjoys holiday-themed activities in first ever Winterfest

by Olivia Xu, Reporter December 9, 2021

Over 80 students and faculty participated in gingerbread house decorating, tree decorating and karaoke during the first ever Winterfest, hosted by the Harker Spirit Leadership Team (HSLT) and Student Activities...

Upper School Divison Head Butch Keller shared a message of gratitude and hope concerning upper school math teacher Jane Keller’s medical leave. Keller also said that scans taken over Thanksgiving break indicated that by March, she may enter complete remission and be able to return to school.

School meeting recap 12/3/21: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society fundraiser, Honor Choir and Review Bowls

by Trisha Iyer and Anika Maji December 9, 2021

Associated Student Body (ASB) President Dawson Chen (12) opened the school meeting on Dec. 3. On behalf of the Harker Conservatory, Anya Warrier (12) and Kai Due (12) congratulated the students who...

The Coyote Brush Bud Gall Midge grows on the California Coyote Brush. The adults lay mate, have offspring, and die all within 24 hours.

Wildlife watch: Late fall features living gems in Bay Area

by Nicholas Wei, Humans of Harker Managing Editor December 9, 2021

The La Niña winter climate pattern, defined by colder weather in the Pacific region, announced its arrival last month with its entourage of clouds and rain. With this change comes new life regenerating...

“What I do is worth it because of my injury. It means a lot to me personally that even being injured, I can still help other people and in the process, learn more about myself and what I like to do,” Leyla Artun (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Same court, different position

by Anika Mantripragada, Reporter December 9, 2021

A wide smile appears on Leyla Artun’s (12) face as she twists around her fingers the vibrant light blue beads and shining gold chains of her handmade necklaces and bracelets influenced by her Turkish...

Diya Mukherjee (10) reads a note from her Eagle Buddy during lunch at the upper school on Nov. 12. The cards, written by third graders in response to notes sophomores had sent two weeks prior, were delivered to sophomores that morning after a LIFE session.

Across campus and age differences: Eagle Buddy program unites Harker community

by Trisha Iyer, Asst. Features Editor December 8, 2021

Heated discussions vying for possession of colored pencils and markers crowded the air of many classrooms during a special Oct. 20 hour-long advisory period. During this time, the sophomore class took...

“Soccer has grounded me. It has brought me back to the people that have been with me throughout my life, even after leaving friends from middle school to high school when I came to Harker. It has given me the space to keep those same friends from soccer and be able to turn back to them," Arthur Kajiyama (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Kicking the best foot forward

by Sarah Mohammed, Features Editor December 7, 2021

Everything grows still, quiet. The turf heats in the sun, grasses brushing the footsteps of the varsity boys soccer team as they slip onto Davis field, a place they have returned to so often it has become...

“I like to laugh, and I like to make other people laugh because then they’re happy. When I’m with my friends, I feed off their energy and it makes me happier. Surrounding yourself with good people is very important. If you have people around you who are also happy and don’t put you down, life becomes a lot easier," Syna Gogte (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Heart, happiness and a helping hand

by Ella Yee, Reporter December 7, 2021

The friend you can count on to respond to your texts within minutes when you need help on your math homework. The one people immediately turn to when they’ve had a hard day and need comfort. Someone...

Senior Spencer Cha performs his composition "Rhythmic Etude No. 5" on the piano during Music Creation Club's showcase on Friday, Dec. 3. The showcase featured performances or recordings from five students.

Music Creation Club hosts student musical showcase event

by Sally Zhu and Ella Yee December 7, 2021

Music Creation Club hosted an open showcase event on Friday during long lunch to present the musical compositions and works of five different students.  During Friday’s school meeting, Richard Zhang...

Holding the basketball, Kevin Zhang (10) crouches to see if any of his teammates are open. The boys beat University Prep Academy 67-24 on Tuesday, Nov. 30.

Varsity boys basketball team crushes University Prep Academy 67-24

by Katelyn Zhao and Alysa Suleiman December 7, 2021

The varsity boys basketball team defeated University Prep Academy 67-24 on Tuesday, Nov. 30. Abhi Namala (11) secured the opening tip-off, and Charles Ding (12) put the Eagles on the board with a 3-pointer....

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